1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to network engineering and planning. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to identifying projected blocked nodes in a communications network.
2. Background Information
Conventional transport network analysis, design and planning methods and procedures (M&P) are typically directed to long-term planning, and rely heavily on manual ad hoc approaches. Also, the focus is on the capacity of the trunks terminating at various network elements, as opposed to the total capacity of each of the network elements. These methods are often inadequate, particularly in view of rapidly emerging technologies and market dynamics. In particular, conventional techniques for predicting long-term network demands and identifying capital equipment over an extended period of time neglect to consider short-term trends or to otherwise address near-term network requirements.
In other words, the existing network planning tools are inadequate to address today's dynamic short-term needs. For example, due to the increase in fiber connectivity in transport networks, the task of projecting requirements and manually designing optimal transport networks to meet short-term demands is complex and impractical. Therefore, a comprehensive, automated process is needed for identifying short-term network requirements, which can ultimately be used for developing and implementing short-term network plans.